The simple change Cavs must make to pull off Celtics upset in Game 2

09/05/2024 21:51

Although the Cleveland Cavaliers were steamrolled in the second half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, there’s reason for optimism as the series continues. Based on the tone heading into Game 2, it’s as if this interaction of the Cavs has the mindset of a team that’s made six straight playoff appearances and a trip to the NBA Finals – just like the Celtics.

By that, Cleveland treated Game 1 of this Eastern Conference slugfest not just as an immediate must-win. Instead, the Cavs used their Game 1 interactions with the Celtics to determine how Boston would attack their defensive scheme and limit Cleveland’s scoring opportunities.

Sure, the Cavs are mindful that winning against the Celtics gives them an advantage. However, Cleveland is also approaching this as a true best-of-seven series, where they can find ways to have seven opportunities to win against Boston and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

So, with Game 2 on the horizon, what changes can the Cavs make to upset the Celtics? Well, believe it or not, it starts and ends with either team’s three-point attack.

What changes can the Cavs make to beat the Celtics?

In Game 1, Boston was 6 of 22 on 3s in the first half and yet led Cleveland by 10. But, when the game was over, the Celtics had ignited from beyond the arc,  hitting on 12 three-point attempts and going 18-46 from the perimeter.

Derrick White had seven three-point attempts. Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritched each had four. Jrue Holiday connected on two of his seven three-point attempts, while Al Horford only hit on one of his five. Surprisingly, Jayson Tatum went 0-5 from three-point range.

However, given Boston’s lethal shooting options, Cleveland must be more mindful of blitzing and attacking the perimeter in Game 2.

"We have to do a better job of limiting the amount of 3-pointers that they took," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "That's being in our spots as early as we can be but doing a better job than we did tonight of reading the basketball.

"We got an opportunity to see them firsthand, and our guys got an opportunity for reps on what we're trying to do."

Meanwhile, in Game 1, Cleveland connected on only 26.2% of their 42 three-point attempts against Boston. However, of those 42 attempts, only four were considered to be very tightly defended by the Celtics. That means that, for nearly 90% of the time, the Cavaliers were considered wide open when taking shots from a three-point range in Game 1, which is a wild gamble considering how modern NBA offenses function.

Sure, Boston may sag off on Cleveland players like Isaac Okoro, who went 3-8 from the perimeter in Game 1, making some attempts seem as wide-open as others. But if Cleveland were to get Donovan Mitchell (4-11), Darius Garland (2-8), Max Strus (1-5), Sam Merrill (0-4) or Caris LeVert (0-2) to make a few more of those wide open misses, then the Cavs could have a completely different outcome in Game 2 of this Eastern Conference Semifinals battle.

"I think you can see the formula of how to attack, how to put yourself and the group in proper positions to succeed," said Mitchell. "I think you can figure some things out (after one game), but we've got to make some shots. They're a high-volume team, high-powered team."

So, as simple as it might seem if Cleveland can defend Boston more tightly on the perimeter while taking advantage of the wide-open looks the Celtics are giving them, then there’s a recipe for success heading into Game 2. That way, the Cavs can continue treating this like seven opportunities to win this series, especially with Games 3 and 4 taking place within the friendly confines of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

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